Angled cable union

ABSTRACT

In order to bending stress on an inserted cable in an angular cable gland with two enclosure sections, the bore axes of which intersect, occuring due to a conventional right-angle of intersection, it is suggested to connect the two end section (10 and 14) of the enclosure by an intermediate section (12) of the same in such way that each intermediate section is adjacent to two end sections in an obtuse angle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an angled cable union with and without strainrelease, for electrical equipment.

The state of the art is based on 90° cable unions consisting of only twoenclosure sections, either connected rigidly or hinged to each other.For unions with hinged enclosure sections, an outwardly square-shapedenclosure is diagonally divided into the two triangular sections forminga hinge at the external corner of the enclosure, allowing the enclosureto be opened by 90°, with the two bores of the two sections therebybeing aligned to form a straight cable union. This is followed by theenclosure being folded back for closing, with the cable being bent in aright angle as in rigid 90° cable unions.

A disadvantage of both rigid and hinged cable unions is the high bendingstress on the cable in the union. In addition, rigid cable unionsrequire tedious pulling of the cable over an angle of 90° and hingedcable unions are expensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the aim of the invention to reduce stress on the cable and tofacilitate pulling the cable through, without unduly increasingmanufacturing costs.

The solution of this aim is an angled cable union for electricalequipment comprising an enclosure including at least two end sectionshaving one continuous bore each, the axes of which intersect afterassembly, wherein the end sections are connected with each other forentry and exit respectively of the cable by at least one intermediatesection therebetween, the at least one intermediate section forming anobtuse angle to each of the adjacent end sections.

The advantage of this solution is reduced bending of the cable with anextended 90° cable curvature through two easily-separable enclosurehalves. When the two halves of the enclosure are joined, the cabledeflection of 90° is effected in two individual steps by means of atleast one intermediate section, preferably a central section, of theenclosure.

In a preferred embodiment of the angled cable union according to theinvention, the device has been designed to allow the halves of theenclosure to be rotated relative to one another after a cable has beenpulled through both halves and the halves have been connected together.

Other useful embodiments of the angled cable union according to theinvention include an engaging mechanism at the rotary connection of thetwo enclosure halves and a snap coupling of the two halves.

Angled cable unions having two enclosure sections are known from DE-A 3614 198 and GB-A-2 253 458, having only end sections for entry and exitof the cable. These unions lack an intermediate section of theenclosure, in particular one central section of the same, with theeffect that the cable after pulling in is bent in at least two points,with the main bend being more than 90°. In these two prior art unions,the two mitred end sections abut in such a way that they allowpreliminary collinear arrangement for passing the cable through,followed by being arranged in a right angle to each other.

The following is a detailed description of the invention based onseveral embodiments presented as examples in the drawings of the angledcable union according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a part sectional, part elevational view of the firstembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1b is a part sectional, part elevational view of a variation of thefirst embodiment utilizing rectangularly-shaped tabs.

FIG. 1c is a part sectional, part elevational view of a variation of thefirst embodiment utilizing sawtooth shaped tabs.

FIG. 2 is a part sectional, part elevational view of an alternative tothe first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a part sectional, part elevational view of a secondembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Where the described angled cable unions agree, the same referencenumbers are used for identical or corresponding parts.

The embodiments described are more or less copied from the utility modelDE-U-92 04 256 (Jacob) as to the left-hand or top half. Each embodimentincludes one enclosure having a left end section 10, a single centralintermediate section 12, and a bottom end section 14. Each section has astraight bore, the axes of which intersect each other in pairs in anobtuse angle of less than 120°, resulting in an overall rectangular,slightly curved deflection of the cable (not shown).

The central intermediate section 12 consists of two parts: one radialexternal part 12.1, which is integrally connected with the left endsection 10, and a coaxial, radial internal part 12.2, which isintegrally connected with the bottom end section 14, therefore formingtwo halves of the enclosure (one half consisting of the left section 10and the external part 12.1, and the other half consisting of the bottomsection 14 and the internal part 12.2). The two halves are assembled inthe direction of the axis of the intermediate section bore, and can beseparated again.

A combined rotary and snap coupling of the two parts 12.1 and 12.2,connecting the two enclosure halves to form intermediate section 12, isaccomplished by cooperation of several axially parallel, resilient tabs16 of the part 12.2 distributed symmetrically about the bore of theintermediate section 12, and an annular area 18 of the other part 12.1,as described hereafter.

An engaging mechanism (not shown) is provided at the rotary coupling tostop the enclosure section in a specific rotary position in order tomake the solid angle formed by the two halves level. In addition, aradially enclosed, axially clamped O-ring 20 is provided for sealing thejoint in the enclosure at the separation point of the intermediatesection 12.

All variations and alternatives of the first embodiment have the commonfeature that the parallel tabs 16 are projecting radially internallyalong the intermediate section 12.

In FIG. 1, the internal axial annular area 18 of the part 12.1 has aprofile characterized by flat base sections separating projections, theprojections corresponding to respective cross-sectional recesses in thetabs 16. In FIG. 1a the cross-section of the projections is semicircular(forming raised rings); in FIG. 1b the cross-section is sawtooth shaped;and in FIG. 1c the cross-section is rectangular.

An axial stop, when assembling the two enclosure halves together,results from abutting of the free ends of the tabs 16 on the oneenclosure half and the mount of the O-ring 20 on the other half. In thealternative, four hooks 22 are moulded on the free ends of the tabsaccording to FIG. 2, forming a continuous tapered sheath area 24. Thetabs engage behind an annular area 18' provided on radial external part12.1. The four tabs 16 of the example are radially internal and arerelieved in a circular cylindrical surface 26 of the radial externalpart 12.1 of the intermediate section 12.

The second embodiment (FIG. 3) corresponds to the hooking principle ofthe alternative of the first (see FIG. 2) and is mainly differentiatedby the fact that the four tabs 16' provided with hooks 22' are in thiscase on the part 12.1. Thus the tabs 16 are radially external, and theannular surface 18" is designed as a recessed external shoulder on thepart 12.2. The O-ring 20 has also changed its position and is nowprovided on the base of the tabs 16.

I claim:
 1. An angled cable union for electrical equipment comprising anenclosure including two end sections each having one continuous borewith an axis, the axes intersecting after assembly, wherein the endsections are connected with each other for entry and exit respectivelyof a cable by at least one intermediate section therebetween, whereineach said at least one intermediate section has a continuous bore withan axis intersecting at an obtuse angle to each of the axes of thecontinuous bores of said end sections.
 2. A cable union according toclaim 1, wherein one of the at least one intermediate section is aunited section comprising two parts which are detachably connected witheach other.
 3. A cable union according to claim 2, wherein a rotarycoupling of the two parts of said united section is provided, the rotarycoupling having a rotary axis and the rotary axis coinciding with theaxis of the bore of the united section.
 4. A cable union according toclaim 2, wherein a quick-connect locking mechanism is provided betweenthe two parts of the united section.
 5. A cable union according to claim4 including a seal enclosing the bore of the united section, wherein theseal is adjacent to the locking mechanism.
 6. A cable union according toclaim 3, wherein the rotary coupling is provided with an engagingmechanism locking the coupling when the axes of the bores of the two endsections and of the united section are in the same plane.
 7. A cableunion according to claim 4, wherein the locking mechanism comprises onepart of the two parts of the united section including radial internaldisposed profiled tabs distributed over the periphery of the bore of theunited section, and an annular surface with complimentary profile on theother part of the two parts of the united section.
 8. A cable unionaccording to claim 7, wherein the complimentary profiles of the tabs andthe annular surface are moulded periodically along the axis of theunited section, so that there is a form-fitting of the tabs to theannular surface to which the tabs are force-locked.
 9. A cable unionaccording to claim 8, wherein the profile of the annular surface isformed by identical, axially successive projections, the projectionshaving a shape which is semicircular, rectangular, or sawtooth shaped.10. A cable union according to claim 7, wherein the tabs are providedwith radial external hooks and the annular surface is designed as ashoulder for engaging the hooks.